The A-to-Z of Yeovil's History

by Bob Osborn

Lydegurl

lydegurl

An
almost-forgotten
valley

'Gurl',
also found as
goyle, goil,
goyal and guile,
is a Somerset
dialect word
meaning a
ravine, gully or
steep-sided
narrow valley
usually with a
stream running
down it.
Lydegurl was the
valley formed by
Lyde Brook,
which formed the
southern
boundary of
Lyde. Indeed the
name Lyde itself
derives from the
Old English hlyd
or hlyde
meaning a
steep-sided
watercourse
which, of
course, neatly
describes
Lydegurl.

The
1589 Terrier,
referring to the
boundaries of
the great
Medieval
East Field
of Kingston
Manor, recorded
".... from
Stoney lake down
by Lydegurl to
the Great
River...." and
the 1743 Terrier
referred to "The
Guile".

Lyde Brook,
for centuries,
formed the
boundary between
Lyde
(essentially
Great Lyde Farm)
and the great
East Field of
Kingston Manor.
It rises in the
area just south
of today's
Runnymede Road,
between Rivers
Road to the west
and Magna Close
to the east. It
then flows
southeast and
then turns east
in the area of
Birchfield
School fields,
continuing east
until it flows
into the
River Yeo.
Over centuries
of time the
stream had cut a
steep-sided
narrow valley -
the gurl.

Many of us
can remember
when Lyde Road
stopped at the
valley which,
during the 1970s
and 1980s, was
the Council's
rubbish dump.
The little Lyde
Brook was,
apparently,
piped through
the valley while
an endless
stream of refuse
lorries dumped
their loads of
the town's
rubbish into the
little valley -
today politely
called
'landfill'. The
valley was
eventually
grassed over and
Lydegurl almost
disappeared
forever.

The last
fifty yards or
so of the Lyde
Brook is still
visible as a
steep-sided
watercourse as
it joins the
River Yeo - as
seen in the
Gallery below.

maps

A map of the
great Medieval
East Field of
Kingston Manor
showing
conjectured
locations of
several fields
based on
descriptions in
the
1589 Terrier.

The
Lyde area
reproduced from
the 1842 Tithe
Map.

The 1946 aerial
photograph of
Great Lyde Farm
- the course of
Lyde Brook,
within its 'Lydegurl'
is clearly seen
marked by the
trees and
undergrowth
growing beside
it.

gallery

Lower Cowleaze
(Parcel 907) seen from its
eastern end and
looking west.
The streetlights
seen right of
centre are those
of Great Mead
and are in the
northwest corner
of what would
have been Lower
Cowleaze.
This is all
landfill that
completely
obliterated the
original
steep-sided
valley - the
Lydegurl. Photographed in
2014.

This is along
the northeastern
corner of Lower
Cowleaze looking
towards the new
housing of
Wyndham Park -
the section
shown here were
built in the
former
Higher
Cowleaze (905).
Although there
has been much in
the way of
landscaping
earthworks in
the area, note the steep
sides of the
valley that
originally
reached as far
as
Long Orchard
(899) in the
west. This is
the only
remaining part
of the valley -
Lydegurl -
that wasn't
completely used
as landfill.
Note the green
post at centre -
this is a vent
to allow any
potential gas
build-up from
the landfill to
escape.
Photographed in
2014.

This photograph
was taken from
close to the
Rive Yeo and
looking west.
The hill seen in
the distance
with people
walking up the
track is chiefly
made-up ground
after the valley
was used as
landfill. At the
top of the hill
(which wasn't
originally
there), to the
right, is the
southeastern
corner of Lower
Cowleaze which
would have
naturally been
closer to the
elevation where
I stood to take
this photograph.
Lyde Brook is
off-photo at
right. Photographed in
2014.

The remaining
fifty yards or
so of the Lyde
Brook is not
contained in
pipes but is
allowed to flow
freely - albeit
with not much
water at this
point - before
it joins the
River Yeo.
Photographed in
2016.

Note the steep
sides of the 'gurl'
as the Lyde
Brook approaches
the River Yeo.
Photographed in
2016.

The Lyde Brook,
flowing from
bottom left,
joins the River
Yeo, seen at
centre. The left
bank of the Lyde
Brook seen here
was the
southeastern
corner of Lyde
while the right
bank where I
stood to take
the photograph
was the very
northeastern
part of the
former great
Medieval East
Field of
Kingston Manor.
Photographed in
2016.

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